A brief window between the Great Depression and World War II, the summer of 1939 was, for America, the last season of hope for peace and prosperity, perhaps best symbolized by the New York World's Fair. An international dream city with a glorious vision of the future, the "World of Tomorrow" introduced such marvels as television, the fax machine, nylon, and fluorescent lights. Yet the fair succumbed to low attendance, freakish weather, power failures, and bomb threats, while one by one, countries pulled into the war in Europe closed their pavilions. James Mauro's history features such personalities as Grover Whalen (the Fair's president), Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, Robert Moses, FDR, and Albert Einstein.

"Mauro spices his story with tales of visiting presidents, kings, queens, politicians, sports heroes and movie stars ... [and] wonderfully elaborates on the fair's movers and shakers.... Mauro's story will likely appeal to fans of Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City.... A delightful time capsule, skillfully unpacked."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Maro's intensively researched history of what led up to the fair and the fair itself provides a revealing window onto the Depression and prewar America in general. The text includes an intriguing cameo by Albert Einstein, who was a visitor at the fair. Absorbing history."—Booklist